


it’s a leap of faith

by technicolours



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spider-Man Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29371788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/technicolours/pseuds/technicolours
Summary: despite his outward distaste for his friends’ obsession with spider-man, special agent jaemin na might know a little bit more about the masked hero than he’s letting on.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Na Jaemin
Comments: 18
Kudos: 209
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	it’s a leap of faith

**Author's Note:**

> written for a little wonder’s "I heard a secret..." challenge! thank you mods for all your hard work <3 
> 
> cw for brief mentions of blood and injury in the section that begins with “it goes like this...”

The dagger spins on its point for a few seconds, before it clatters to the table. The conversation falls to a momentary lull as all the other agents give the fallen knife a cursory once-over, and then they resume their fawning over Spider-Man as if nothing happened. 

Jaemin rolls his eyes. "I think Spider-Man's overrated." 

His friends abruptly halt their profuse gushing. "Take that back!" Donghyuck exclaims, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. 

Jaemin just shrugs. He slips the knife into the sheath that’s strapped securely to his upper thigh, before he nonchalantly rejoins the conversation. "You guys just talk way too much about him.”

"You've been on a mission with him, right? Last year? What was he like?" Jisung inquires, leaning forward. 

"Yeah, do you know what he looks like under the mask? I bet he's hot," Donghyuck says dreamily. "Have you _seen_ his ass?" 

Jaemin flashes his coworkers an unimpressed look, trying to keep his expression and tone neutral. His voice comes out laced with disinterest. “Don’t know, don’t care. He did his own thing, I did mine. Besides, his identity’s classified – even if I do know who he is, and I don’t, I can’t say.” 

Jisung opens his mouth to say more, but before he can respond, he's interrupted by a new voice. "What are you guys talking about?" 

Dr. Mark Lee's stark white lab coat is a sharp contrast to the all-black ensembles of the agents as he takes a seat next to Jisung, across from Jaemin and Donghyuck. 

"Oh, hey Mark!" Jisung greets him enthusiastically, all smiles – it's moments like these where it's entirely easy to forget that despite his deceptively youthful, innocent appearance, Special Agent Jisung Park is one of the best operatives S.H.I.E.L.D. has. 

The same goes for the rest of them at the table: Donghyuck never misses a target with his trusty bow and arrow. And Jaemin feels a sense of pride in knowing that nobody else can come close to his own ability to wield knives like they're an extension of his body. 

But Mark's just a normal guy; he hadn't been orphaned at a young age and taught one hundred different ways to kill a man before even reaching puberty. However, what he lacks in terms of physical prowess he makes up for with his brainpower – he's only a year older than Jaemin, but is the proud owner of a PhD and many accolades. His genius-level intellect caught the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., so now he's a coworker all the same, despite working in a completely different department.

"We're talking about Spider-Man," Jaemin says breezily. 

Mark peers at him curiously, eyes betraying a hint of surprise. "Oh? What about him?" 

"Jaemin thinks he's overrated," Donghyuck says, reaching over the table to steal a fry from Mark's plate. "But _I_ think he's hot." 

"You don't even know what he looks like," Mark points out. "Or his real name."

"That’s true," Jisung shrugs. "It's all classified." 

“Yeah, but with an ass like _that?”_ Donghyuck whistles. “He’s hot.” 

“Alright, alright,” Jaemin cuts in, trying his best to keep his voice from sounding strained, “enough superhero objectification for today.” 

"Hmm," Mark cuts his attention to Jaemin. "What about you? What do you think?"

Jaemin takes a sip of his water, setting it down to fix Mark with a leveled stare. "Are you asking me if I think Spider-Man has a nice ass? Cause I wouldn't know, I don't think I ever really looked."

"No, no," Mark laughs, sounding slightly nervous as he frantically waves his hands to backtrack. "Why do you say that he's overrated? Just out of curiosity."

"I mean... we're literally surrounded by supers everywhere. We're literally friends with some of them," Jaemin argues. "I just don't see why everyone's so obsessed with Spider-Man. For example, Renjun has freaky mind powers. Chenle has superspeed. And Jeno's a fucking all-knowing synthezoid. I feel like everyone's only excited because we don't know his real identity. Once we find out, the excitement will probably fade."

"He kind of has a point," Mark muses.

"No fun," Donghyuck huffs, stealing another fry from Mark's plate, "you always agree with Jaem."

Mark meets Jaemin's eyes and grins. "Guess we're just on the same wavelength."

"But you're, like, a genius and he's so..." Jisung starts to say, a teasing smirk on his face.

"I'm so _what?"_ Jaemin plays into it. He pretends to sniff. "I practically help raise you, and this is the kind of disrespect I get?"

"You're cool in your own way," Mark cuts in, effectively quelling their petty spat. That friendly smile’s back on his pretty pink lips.

Jaemin mentally thanks the years and years he's been trained in the subtle art of espionage, because it means his emotions are basically undetectable to the naked eye. So, while he's thinking of how much he wants to climb onto the table and grab Mark by the collar of his lab coat and kiss him senseless, everyone around him, Mark included, is none the wiser.

Instead, he snorts and says, "Thanks Mark. I think you're pretty cool, too. Even though I have no idea what you actually do in that lab all the time."

Mark beams at the praise, and the subject of the conversation shifts from Spider-Man to whatever Mark does for S.H.I.E.L.D. He talks animatedly, pausing and clarifying his points when Jisung and Donghyuck look confused, and his eyes occasionally flit to Jaemin to make sure he's paying attention.

Jaemin brings his cup of water up to his lips again as he watches Mark speak. Their eyes meet for a brief moment, and Jaemin takes a sip just to hide his secret smile when Mark’s grin brightens.   
  


* * *

"I think Mark has a crush on you," Donghyuck singsongs in his ear while they grapple.

Jaemin snorts, taking advantage his friend's momentary distractedness to sweep his legs out from underneath him. But Donghyuck's reflexes are deceptively fast — despite his penchant for archery, he _is_ still a well-trained field agent, and he grabs Jaemin's shoulder and brings him down with him. They scrabble for dominance on the mat, and they're both thoroughly breathless and slightly sweaty when Jaemin has Donghyuck pinned to the ground with a knee to his chest and the tip of his dagger against his Adam’s apple. 

"That's Jaemin 34, Donghyuck... still 12." Jisung calls.

"I swear, I've definitely won more," Donghyuck grumbles, taking Jaemin's outstretched hand and letting him pull him up to his feet.

"The numbers don't lie," Jaemin grins triumphantly. They head to the bench where Jisung sits with his phone in his hands, undoubtedly circulating the video of Donghyuck getting his ass beat to their group chat. "Your little distraction didn't work, by the way," he says as he guzzles down water.

"You don't think he does?" Donghyuck's eyebrows shoot up. "Jaem, we're literally spies. It's our job to notice these things."

"Maybe if you spent less time gossiping and more time sparring, you'd be able to beat me in a fight," Jaemin simpers. "Come on, let's go for another round."

Donghyuck groans, but he complies. They circle each other at the center of the mat, calculating each other's movements. Donghyuck strikes at him first, but Jaemin blocks him easily – he's always been a little too impatient for his own good.

"You're too easy to read," Jaemin comments offhandedly, dodging another swing.

"Oh, really?" Donghyuck grunts. Jaemin aims a swift kick at his shin, but Donghyuck dodges. His friend flashes him a sly smirk, the one that always makes it clear that he's up to no good. "You know," he huffs. Jaemin gets a good hit in, square against his stomach, but he recovers quickly. "I can tell that you like him too."

Jaemin does the worst thing he could do in this situation – he falters. Donghyuck has him pinned with his chest to the floor almost instantaneously, his triumphant, shit-eating grin swimming above him. Somewhere out of his line of sight, he can hear Jisung shouting, "NO FUCKING WAY!"

"You're really not as subtle as you think," Donghyuck stage-whispers against his ear.

“If only you knew,” Jaemin mutters, voice muffled by the mat. Donghyuck, as expected, doesn’t hear. 

* * *

Jaemin has a secret. 

Of course, secrets aren’t an unfamiliar concept to him. It’s literally his job to dig up the worst skeletons in other people’s closets and report them back to headquarters, so they can either file them away forever or use them to their advantage. He’s lied and cheated and lived different lives under different aliases, always disappearing without a trace when the mission was over. 

But this secret’s different, unlike any of the ones he’s held in his hands before. This one has the potential to have catastrophic outcomes –– because the most effective weapon against a masked hero is their identity. 

And Jaemin knows who Spider-Man is. 

It goes like this: 

He’s undercover in Busan, seeking out someone. He finds his target; career criminals aren’t too hard to track, and he’s great at his job. But he stumbles upon something much more dangerous instead. S.H.I.E.L.D. decides it’s out of his element and calls in the Avengers — something they only do when the fate of the world is at stake. 

He does his part to help, but without any enhanced abilities, he can’t do much but take out a handful of guards on the ground. So he does — he tears his dagger out of a mercenary’s thigh, knocking him out with the hilt. Red stains his fingers, crimson droplets spilling down his bloodied knuckles, but he’ll manage. Getting blood out of clothes is all part of the job. 

There's nobody around him, save for the handful of unconscious bodies piled at his feet. He ties the last mercenary’s hands together, stepping back to admire his handiwork: he’d managed to take out four hostiles, all on his own. Not bad, not bad at all. 

He feels it before he sees it. The ground rumbles underneath his feet, and he reaches for the wall to steady himself. Then there’s a boom, reverberating out so loud that he can’t hear anything but the ringing in his own ears as smoke obscures everything in his line of sight. It’s followed by an awful crumbling sound that seems to take minutes or hours before it finally dissipates, he’s not entirely sure, leaving nothing but a deafening silence in its wake. 

When the smoke clears, there’s a body, bent at an unnatural angle against the wall. Jaemin can just make out the black spider-shaped insignia on the chest, slightly obscured by ash and scorch marks, but unmistakable all the same. 

He rushes over, dropping to his knees as he checks Spider-Man’s pulse — it’s there, but faint; the impact from his fall would have killed the average man, but he’s still kicking, thanks to his accelerated healing. But he’s not going to last for long if someone doesn’t do something. 

“I need help!” Jaemin screams into his earpiece, tapping at it frantically. _Dead._ The blast must have taken out their comms as well. 

His heart races with adrenaline. He’s the only one around, and if he doesn’t do anything, Spider-Man could _die_ — 

His eyes fall on the side of the hero’s head. Blood soaks through the mask, almost indiscernible against the thick red fabric, and he swallows. 

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, as if Spider-Man can hear him in his lucid state. 

With slightly shaky hands, he runs his fingers along the bottom of the mask, finding a small opening underneath his chin. His fingers curl around the stretch of fabric, and he lifts it up, breath catching in his throat as he takes in the identity of the man underneath the mask. 

* * *

There's a lone figure on the balcony, but Jaemin would recognize that distinct red and blue pattern anywhere. His mind drifts back to the conversation he'd had with his friends in the cafeteria, and he finds his eyes wandering down. Begrudgingly, he admits that Donghyuck was right. It also isn't helping that he's squatting on the ledge with his back to Jaemin, and—

"Agent Na," Spider-Man turns, sounding scandalized. "Are you staring at my ass?"

Jaemin scoffs when he regains his composure. "Oh, come on," he says, "why so formal? It’s just us."

"Fine. _Jaemin,_ are you staring at my ass?" 

"Well," Jaemin admits, "ever since Hyuck pointed it out..." 

“Oh? So what do you think?” 

“I’m not answering that,” Jaemin says quickly. 

"Hmm. You know, I also heard that you said I’m overrated," Spider-Man teases. 

"Maybe I only said that to get your attention," Jaemin tilts his head, stepping closer. 

"You know you always have my attention," Spider-Man says. Smooth, as always, when he’s his web-slinging alter ego. But Jaemin’s always liked the man underneath the suit a little more. 

Jaemin grins; he's close enough to reach out, trail his palms down the intricate lines on the webbed mask. His fingers find the small flap under the chin, and he slowly lifts it up, revealing a pair of familiar lips that curve into a warm smile. 

"I also heard you lost a fight to Donghyuck today," Spider-Man continues. "I mean, it was about time. How'd he do it? Did you get distracted thinking of me?" 

“Enough,” Jaemin pouts. “I think I like it better when you’re awkward and get flustered by me.” 

“Hm.” He brings his hands over Jaemin’s, tucking his thumbs underneath the edge of the mask, and together, they lift it up all the way. 

“Hey there,” Mark Lee murmurs, grinning as he removes the mask completely. “Is this better?” 

“Better,” Jaemin agrees. He steps closer, trailing his fingers up and around the nape of Mark’s neck. His black hair’s slightly damp with sweat — Mark often complains about the lack of airflow in his skintight suit, but Jaemin pays it no mind. 

He leans in as if to kiss him. Mark drops his guard, eyes fluttering shut as he moves closer. Jaemin grins conspiratorially, and then he’s got his hand on his neck, promptly twirling them both around as if locked in an elegant dance. 

Jaemin keeps a hand under Mark’s head, cushioning the blow when they fall to the floor — accelerated healing aside, he still cares about his boyfriend’s wellbeing — but he keeps both legs firmly straddled around Mark’s spandex-clad waist, pinning him down. 

“Babe,” Mark groans. He doesn’t make any motion to get up, even though Jaemin knows he can easily toss him aside. “What was that for?” 

“That,” Jaemin grins, smirk growing wider when Mark’s hands come up to rest at his legs, “was to prove that today was a fluke. I can take Donghyuck any day. Hell, I can probably take you.” 

“Really...” Jaemin cuts off his unconvinced tirade by leaning down and finally connecting their lips. Mark’s hands run up to the base of his thighs, arms circling around his waist as he deepens the kiss. “Mph,” he mumbles, “you really do have a weird sense of foreplay.”

“You’re into it,” Jaemin retorts. He’s about to lean back down and kiss him again and again until they’re both gasping for breath, but there’s an incessant buzzing emanating from Mark’s discarded mask from where it sits a few feet away.

They both turn to stare at the hidden earpiece, then back to each other. Jaemin swiftly slides off of Mark and stands, picking up the mask and extending out a hand. Mark takes it, letting Jaemin pull him up. 

They stand for a moment, taking each other in, Jaemin’s black clothing and knives strapped to his legs a stark juxtaposition to the bright red and blue of Mark’s suit. Jaemin’s job is to work from the shadows, but Mark’s is to be a public hero, a beacon of hope. 

Wordlessly, Jaemin slips the mask over Mark’s messy hair and warm eyes. It unfolds to its full length, until all that’s left in the eyes of the world is Spider-Man. But of course, to him, he’s just Mark Lee — _his_ Mark, without the fancy doctorate titles or the superhero fame. 

“Well. Duty calls,” Mark — _Spider-Man_ — says. One of his mechanical eye lenses squints – a poor attempt at a wink. Jaemin laughs, and he crosses his arms and watches as Spider-Man waves and leaps off the ledge. 

But he doesn’t see him come back up, and he frowns, peering over the railing to see if he can catch a glimpse of red. Just then, a shadow falls over him. “Forgot something,” Spider-Man calls. He’s hanging upside down on a web that stems from the balcony railing, one floor above where Jaemin stands.

“Oh my God,” Jaemin laughs when Mark slides down the web, and he reaches up to slip the mask down to Mark’s nose. Mark’s grinning, and Jaemin leans forward to connect their lips again in a soft kiss. 

“Now go save the world or whatever. Just don’t do anything stupid that involves you dying, okay?” Jaemin chastises when he gently pushes Mark’s face away. 

Mark nods. He pulls his mask back up and drops gracefully to his feet, landing cleanly on the thin railing of the balcony. He shoots a web in the direction of the buildings across from them. “Love you,” he says, casually. He startles, taking in Jaemin’s expression, but before he can say anything else, the web pulls him away. 

He materializes on the side of the building across from Jaemin’s. “I love you too,” Jaemin shouts back, meaning every word. “And I meant what I said, you better not die!” 

Even with the mask obscuring his face, Jaemin can tell he’s smiling underneath it. He laughs as Mark flashes him a thumbs-up, and then he’s off, swinging from building to building, fearlessly headed headfirst into danger. 

So, Jaemin has a secret. But it might just be the best damn secret he’s ever had to keep. 

**Author's Note:**

> i have many spidermark thoughts.
> 
> the rest of 7dream are heroes (and superm are the avengers... wink)  
> — renjun: scarlet witch  
> — jeno: the vision  
> — chenle: quicksilver


End file.
